Michael Gira wrote:

> Is that really the law?  That sounds dangerous to me - getting out of
> the flow of traffic, moving into a narrow little strip next to
> pedestrians, and then have to get back into the flow of traffic
> again.

The thing is that those cycle crossings will usually only be provided where
the pavement (sidewalk if you're American) is also designated for use by
cyclists, so you shouldn't be cycling on the road there anyway.
As you have probably already noticed, no one pays too much attention to the
rules for cyclists in Japan, but if you want to know where you stand, then,
yes, the rules are pretty much the same as those that apply to motorists. I
bet not many people know that it is an offence to ring your bell to get
pedestrians to move out of the way. As Eric said, pedestrians generally have
right of way. Hand signals are also mandatory, but I have never ever once
seen anyone make a hand signal while cycling.

-- 
Dave Fossett
Saitama, Japan